California natives
BEAUTIFUL AND DROUGHT- TOLERANT
By DAVID SCHROEDER
PHOTOS BY JENNIFER CAPPUCCIO-MAHER
Editor’s note: With cooler days an ideal time to put drought-resistant plants into the soil, we invited Chino Basin Water Conservation District water conservation specialist David Schroeder to offer native plant suggestions for the Inland Empire garden. WHAT A SUMMER. The heat waves we experienced here in the Inland Empire are behind us and fall has finally arrived. Hopefully, cooler temperatures and much-needed rainfall will be with us for the next few months.
It is a time when many of our local trees, shrubs and flowers lose their foliage and move into winter slumber. It also is a time of awakening for many of California’s 2,300- plus endemic plants.
Here are five selections (from the largest to the smallest), which can be purchased locally, are relatively easy to grow, suitable for our region, require low maintenance, may be great flower producers and may attract a variety of wildlife.
California Coast Live Oak Quercus agrifolia
This is an evergreen oak with a
geographical range along the coast and inland from Mendocino County to northern Baja. Give this majestic beauty plenty of space as it can reach heights of 30 to 60 feet and a spread of 40 to 70 feet.
A popular misconception for many of California’s oaks is that they are slow growers, which is not the case with the Coast Live Oak. After an establishment period of two to three years after planting, this oak may grow anywhere from one to two feet per year.
Much of its growth is realized in a horizontal direction as opposed to the vertical growth habits of many other types of trees. It prefers full sun and a well-drained soil.
After the establishment period, it requires no supplemental water and thrives on winter and spring rainfall. The foliated lateral or side branches are critical in the development of this oak as they promote taper of the trunk, protect the trunk from sunburn and provide areas for photosynthesis. The lateral branches should only be pruned over a course of many years.
Avoid planting water-thirsty plants under a mature oak and do not disturb existing roots with construction activities or changes in the soil grade.
A mature or large oak will attract squirrels and many species of birds because of the acorns it produces, and also because of the shade and protection it creates.
Manzanita Arctostaphylos densiflora (Howard McMinn)
The Common Manzanita, A. manzanita, was the first California native I remember as a young hiker in our local mountains. It was the smooth and dark maroon colored statuesque bark that caught my attention.
The selection Howard McMinn is also a favorite because of its bark, leaves, flowers and fruit. The reddish brown bark is present and spectacular but not as
prominent as it is hidden behind its dense foliage. The leaves are elliptical in shape and are medium to light green.
The spring flowers are typical of all manzanitas being urn-shaped, and Howard McMinn produces a white to light pink flower color. These flowers will attract nectar-seeking hummingbirds and the small fruits will attract other hungry birds and animals.
This manzanita will tolerate and sometimes need some summer water. It will grow in full sun and afternoon shade and requires good soil drainage. This selection can reach a height of 6 to 8 feet with a spread of 8 feet.
California Fuchsia Zauschneria or Epilobium Californica
An outstanding late summer and early fall bloomer, this small shrub will color your garden orange and attract every hummingbird in the neighborhood. It’s an easy to grow chaparral native, with many selections and hybrids to choose from with many shapes and forms to fit your garden design.
The fuchsia is an evergreen perennial with grayish-green to silvery-green, narrow-shaped leaves. Prune this native in the winter after blooming or before new spring growth begins.
The many hybrids and varieties to consider are Arizonica, Everett’s Choice, Bowman, Orange Carpet and Solidarity Pink (a pink flower selection).
Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat Eriogonum arborescens
A native of California’s Channel Islands chaparral community, this buckwheat is a small shrub of 3 to 4 feet in height and a spread of 4 to 5 feet.
In the wild, it typically grows on hilly slopes and in creviced canyon walls. One of its most striking growth characteristics is the bark with interesting twists and turns and a beautiful brownish-grayish- red color.
The narrow leaved foliage is grey-green and medium to sparse in its density. The flowers are a pinkish to rose color occurring spring through summer and can attract butterflies. The dry seed heads will attract birds and are edible.
California Flannel Bush Fremontodendron californicun
Of the five selections, this is the most difficult to cultivate because of its strict requirements for good soil drainage and no summer water after establishment. The flannel bush is typically found in its native habitat in the chaparral and some high elevation woodland plant communities. The flannel bush is typically a fast-growing large evergreen shrub 10 to 20 feet high, with spectacular yellow flowers in the spring. The leaves are dark green and both the leaves and the stems are covered with brownish hairs that are irritants to the skin and eyes.
Give the flannel bush a sunny area and use it as a background plant or as a barrier plant. There are several hybrid selections of F. californicumand Southern Flannel Bush, F. mexicanum, which have variable growth and flowering habits.
They range in heights from 3 to 15 feet with spreads of 6 to 12 feet. Some of the more popular hybrid selections include California Glory, Ken Taylor, Pacific Sunset and San Gabriel. Many of these hybrids should be considered for use on slopes where drainage is good.
With water becoming a more critical resource in our state because of environmental, political, public and private considerations, it would be wise to consider using less thirty California native plants. Rising water costs and potential rationing, if the drought continues, means a native landscape can put you and your garden ahead in uncertain times.
See and Learn
A well kept secret? An Inland jewel? An oasis in paradise? Maybe a secret garden? Or a combination of all these descriptions make the Chino Basin Water Conservation District’s Demonstration Garden a place to visit and learn from.
This garden demonstrates the efficient use of our most valuable resource — water. It does this by incorporating drought-tolerant plants with efficient irrigation systems and landscape designs.
The garden is a popular destination for field trips by students of all ages. It has a learning center where visitors can ask qualified staff for landscape information, and it can be used as a place to relax either by sitting next to the pond or meandering down a path.
Chino Basin Water Conservation District Demonstration Garden
4594 San Bernardino St., Montclair
Free admission Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays,
except on major holidays
(909) 626-2711, www.cbwcd.org
